Stress Center Peer Support

Jody,
I also have an eating disorder, and I know how hard it is to cope with having anxiety and depression.
I now see a nutritionist to help with my disorder. Maybe something you might want to look into while your going thru this difficult time. It has helped me.
Kim

I to have an eating disorder. I have depression and aniexty. When I get upset, I just want to eat everything in site. I'm also diabetic. I just started this program and am on week one. I don't know if this will help, but the t.v. program sounded like something that would help. I'm a veteran and their method of help is to medicate. I take so many pills and I hate it. I hope to get off of them with the help of this program. I just want to eat like a regular person and not pig out everytime I panic.

I was diagnosed with bulimia & anorexia 2 decades ago. I had therapy for two years and overcame those disorders but went on to compulsively overeat and am now 100+ lbs overweight. I am only in week three but I listened to the jumpstart about the steps to overcoming anxiety attacks my first day (they are also in Session two). Right then and there I realized I could use those same steps every time I felt the need to over eat. So far...it's working amazingly!

Jody,
I am glad I found your post. I have a tendency to overeat and binge to control my anxiety. But my daughter, who is 19, has been dealing with an eating disorder for 3 yrs. She started with anorexia and moved on to binging. It is a bit out of control and we are looking into treatments. I am on Session 3 of the program. I got it for myself but as I listen I realize that my daughter has been dealing with anxiety and depression for the last 3 years and I am trying to get her to listen as well. I really do think that a lot of her problem is because of anxiety. She has a tendency to have OCD and ADD. I think all of these go back to anxiety and trying to control your world as it seems to spin out of control. Anyway, I know you posted this a while ago. Hope you are doing well.
Also, maybe more people have this problem and have trouble admitting it.

I am a compulsive overeater and was in overeaters' anonymous for 12 years. There, I learned some basic approaches, like putting boundaries around when you eat -- not eating in cars, for exmaple, not eating in between meals. There are times to eat, and times to abstain. That was a revelation.

I have been a sugar addict on and off for years. I just went off sugar again a month ago and the cravings are much better -- it took about a week for the serious cravings to clear out. I still need sweet stuff every day, and love to eat Mejool Dates; also get healthy snacks like Odwalla Bars; plain yogurt with honey and fruit is another treat.

The real issue with eating disorders, OA says, is emotional or spiritual. There is something lacking in our life, or some way we're not kind to ourselves, or accepting of ourselves, don't have enough love, or enough touch. So we eat to compensate. But since we're not feeding the real hunger, the food is never enough. It's a substitute for what we're really needing, so it never quite hits the mark and we always want more.

The other night I realized I really needed touch, so I asked my partner to scratch my back, scratch the back of my legs. We took off our shirts and just laid together skin to skin. I felt so nourished, down to my soul.

Times like that, the last thing I need is to overeat. My real hunger is being satisfied.

In OA, I found the trick was to: 1) stop the binging by putting boundaries around the food, the times of eating and the amounts and kinds of food, create a food plan; and 2) allow time and support and a safe place for the real hungers, the real issues, to show themselves.

I also write down my calories every day. That's not OA, but I find it helps me be aware of different kinds of food and how fattening they are; I write down every single thing I eat, every day. It's like a personal food budget: how much have I spent today?

Best of luck.

Thank all of you on this page for all your advice and honesty. I haven't been on the forums for about a month and I was looking back on some of them and I just really appreciate all of your comments. Missouri gal, you hit it right on. One of my major issues is that my husband is not affectionate. I am a very affectionate person and grew up in that kind of family. Then when I got married 13 years ago, I suddenly was in a marriage with very little touch and very little communication. My husband has even pulled away from me many times and that makes me feel rejected and unloved. Things haven't gotten better even after 13 years and I am someone who needs that so much. I just really appreciate you putting that into words, cause it's hard for me to think about. Hope you all get to see this post to know how much I appreciate your responses!!! Jody